How to Sew a 1960s Shift Dress - Vintage Sewing Pattern Tutorial for Beginners with Pattern Drafting

How to Sew a 1960s Shift Dress - Vintage Sewing Pattern Tutorial for Beginners with Pattern Drafting
***
Hello Makers and welcome to Sheer Stitchery!
In this fun and easy sewing tutorial, you'll learn how to sew a shift dress from a 1960s pattern - even it is not your size! This vintage sewing pattern uses your standard sloper to create style elements for the vintage patterns so you can get a perfect fit and your perfect style every time. It is perfect for beginners, and the shift dress is a great wardrobe staple that you can wear all year round. Watch this video and you'll be able to sew like a pro in no time!
And the best part? You can use this to modify ANY vintage pattern to create ANY size you need. I draft digitally using Adobe Illustrator but this same method can be used using paper, a pencil and a ruler. (If you want the traditional paper and pencil method, let me know in the comments below!)
***
♡ SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL (It’s free!): ruclips.net/user/SheerStitch...
♡ INSTAGRAM: / sheerstitchery
♡ FACEBOOK: / sheerstitchery
♡ PINTEREST: www.pinterest.ca/kathihime
♡ MINERVA: www.minerva.com/people/1000147
------------------------------------
⭐️TIMESTAMPS⭐️
00:00 - Intro
00:08 - My Plans
00:41 - The Vintage Patterns for Inspiration
07:38 - The Measurements from the ACTUAL vintage patterns
08:29 - Using the Measurements in Adobe Illustrator to alter the sloper
12:21 - Adjusting the Dress Sloper
18:55 - Adjusting the Sleeve Sloper
24:09 - Creating the Roll Neck Pattern Piece
26:46 - Fine tuning the new pattern & adding Seam Allowances
28:02 - On to the Sewing!
29:27 - Cutting it out and Transferring Markings from the pattern we drafted
30:36 - The Darts
32:08 - Front Tie Details ('60's vibes!)
34:09 - The Shoulder Seams
34:35 - The Sleeves
35:14 - The Side Seams
35:44 - Sleeves, Finishing Them Up
37:11 - The Roll Neck (turtleneck) Collar
37:54 - The Invisible Zipper
40:24 - The Hem
41:04 - The Reveal!
⭐️ RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO⭐️
- Pattern: Self Drafted (do you want to see this as a pattern you can download? If so, let me know in the comments!)
- Pattern Inspo from my collection: Simplicity 7346, Simplicity 7072, Butterick 4076
- TIJN Shoes Homepage: tijnhome.com/walkon
- TIJN Shoes 'Amara': tijnhome.com/product-amara-ca...
- Fabric: Modes4U: shrsl.com/3k9ix
- Fabric video Haul: • A retro print fabric f...
- All the FREEBIE patterns: sheerstitchery.com/collection...
------------------------------------
Sheer Stitch Société: sheerstitchery.teachable.com/
Newsletter: sheerstitchery-21364664.hubspo...
Get tons of sewing freebies and updates on new pattern releases.
Website: sheerstitchery.com/​​​​​​
Follow me on Minerva: www.minerva.com/people/1000147​​
As always, if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments down below.
If you haven't already, please hit that LIKE and SUBSCRIBE button, please!
Until next time Makers and Creators let's get our 'Sew-Spiration' on!
------------------------------------
FOLLOW ME!
Instagram @SheerStitchery #SheerStitchery / sheerstitchery
Facebook - Sheer Stitchery / sheerstitchery
Blog: sheerstitchery.com/blogs/sew-...
BUSINESS INQUIRIES & COLLABS!
[e-mail]
------------------------------------
#SewSpiration​​​​​​ #Sewing​​​​​​ #MeMade​​​​​ #LearnToSew #vintagesewing #VintageSewing #BegginerSewing

[@SheerStitchery]

So excited to share this dress with you, as finding vintage patterns in your size can be tricky and this is what I do to take any vintage pattern and make it my own (and my size).

[@elizabethosborne5650]

I love the fact you combined 3 beautiful vintage patterns together. Marvelous job and excellent instruction. Thank you so much from a VERY beginning beginner.

[@deidrabenson361]

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and expertise! Really enjoyed the video!❤️❤️❤️

[@d52gaming65]

Cute dress. Always fun watching the process of design.

[@SheerStitchery]

Thanks, can't wait to draft more dresses!

[@ClaudiaDavZam]

Shift dresses don't get the love they deserve. I guess I'll just wait until 60s are trending again

[@TabletopJason]

You've got a great range of style. Pretty neat to see how you sew some of the vintage dresses.

[@SheerStitchery]

thanks so much!

[@bradenandbritt]

Did you end up drafting and sharing/selling the pattern? Love this!

[@SheerStitchery]

I am actually working on it's release for 2023! Watch for it in the coming months :)

[@debracherry8629]

I love your shoes in the final reveal. Would you share details so I could buy a pair?

[@SheerStitchery]

Certainly. It is linked in the description but here is the link here as well (that way you don’t have to scroll through the whole description) tijnhome.com/product-amara-caramel-8

[@charlottejones7341]

I am a beginner sewner and I am trying to figure out how to make my own wardrobe on a disability benefits for me is under 800.00 -rent and my phone I'm trying to get some of the sewing supplies and pattern paper and tape

[@charlottejones7341]

I would love to have you to make the sloper for us, I am in my small room with my brother sewing machine Ls2125

[@Orpilorp]

I grew up in the 60s. There were some really fun fabrics at the time. My favorite style had a center pattern that my mom would sew in a complementary fabric.
But the dresses were absolutely horrible to sit in. The dress goes way up the leg when sitting. Jr. high is not the place to wear these dresses while trying to be modest. My girlfriends and I soon appreciated wearing pants to school.

[@SheerStitchery]

So true! You don’t think about sitting when you are trying the dress on in front of a mirror 😮
That fabric and dress would have been gorgeous!

[@sewwithmsjones1196]

I really don't mean to be the "sewing police," but I am confused. As someone who has a degree in Clothing & Textiles Education, who has taught sewing for over 25 years, and someone with 50-plus years of sewing, I always understood that "French darts" were those long curved darts starting near the side waist that end up near the bust apex. The purpose of a French dart is to control both bust and waist fullness. In fact, I sewed quite a few of these different shift dresses during my high school years. I was definitely a Mary Quant fan.
The dart you are calling a "French Dart" on Butterick 4076 seems to be either an abbreviated side dart or armhole dart (depending on its angle) that is meant to reduce the bustline curve of the princess seam and help control the fullness of the bust area.
Why am I so pedantic about this? Using the correct "specialized vocabulary" is extremely important when teaching or demonstrating. I always do my best to be precise in order to reduce confusion. I also know that there are multiple names for certain techniques. Is it a slip stitch, a whip stitch, or a felling stitch?
I also wanted to say that how you explained modifying your basic block into the design you wanted was extremely clear and understandable. I'll be following you.